Tatum demands higher standards

Justin Tatum has urged his Illawarra Hawks team not to get complacent, after a below-par training performance this week.

The Hawks claimed the impressive scalp of the Perth Wildcats in Round 10, ending their six-game winning streak.

It was a huge step forward, but there's still plenty of work to do to make NBL24 a success. Illawarra sits ninth on the NBL standings, with just four wins from 12 games.

"I was very impressed [with the defensive performance] that day [against Perth], but today I wasn't at practice," Tatum said on Wednesday.

Import Gary Clark echoed the coach's comments. 

"There's been a little bit of slippage this week in practice," Clark admited.

"We're still trying to become a winning team." 

Driving high standards is a key part of the Hawks' evolution, and with a pair of wins since Tatum's arrival, they're on the rise. 

The fact they've highlighted the blip at practice is a sign of their will to improve. 

"We're getting better. Guys are starting to adjust to how I want them to make sure that they play defence the right way. They're on the right path."

After the outstanding defensive effort against the Wildcats, attention has quickly shifted to another huge game, this time against the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Gippsland. 

The Phoenix will be ready to fire after a disappointing loss in the Throwdown on Thursday, and anything less than the Hawks' best won't get the job done on Saturday night.

"We were really happy with how we played against Perth and the outcome of it, but right now we don't focus on that and we have got to worry about South East on Saturday," Tatum said.

The Hawks take on the Phoenix on Saturday at 5:30pm AEDT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN via Kayo Sports.